The Modern Webseries

H+ is a very cool look into possible future technology, and a great story so far. More than being just a web series, the show has been built to take advantage of YouTube in a way that isn’t really being done by anyone else. The show is broken up into 48 episodes, each ranging from three to eight minutes in length. If you watch the show in the numerical order in the main YouTube channel, you’ll get a great story that jumps wildly across time and location in the world. As you reach the end of the numerical representation of the season, you’ve got a pretty good idea of what is happening with each character and you’ll even see paths cross at several points. But what is really interesting about H+ is that it’s not a requirement that you watch the show in this format.

“There’s a perception that a web series is basically an independent TV show, in the way that indy films are different from a studio production” said Cabrera. “The reality is that most web series follow very similar formats, such that you could retain everything if you brought it to public access or something. You can’t really do that with H+.” In fact, the YouTube channel for H+ offers the show in several formats. You can choose to watch it in its numerically issued format, or you can choose to follow one specific character at a time in playlists that have been assembled just for that. Some fans of the show have even gone so far as to create Playlists that show the first series in a chronological format, something that Cabrera noted was a fantastic way to watch to perhaps gain a different perspective.

The decision to pursue this nonlinear, rearrange-able kind of series was based on the evolution on the services around them, according to Cabrera. When H+ was originally being worked on, YouTube wasn’t really ready for things like Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome or Halo: Forward Unto Dawn. Major production shops weren’t looking at YouTube as a viable format until cable cutters became a growing concept. H+ The Digital Series, thoroughly backed by Warner Bros, is a perfect example of what a show can be when its not tethered to the traditional concepts of what a television show should look and feel like.

Waiting for Season Two

So, here we sit in between seasons. H+ The Digital Series has carved an interesting niche for itself, but the show needs to adapt to the changing ecosystem. John and Cosimo both agree that the non-linear format isn’t going anywhere, but that there’s a need for the average episode length to increase a bit. The two writers would like to avoid three minute episodes, of which there are several in the first season, entirely in season two. Fans of H+ will be interested to know that during this new season John and Cosimo intend to follow many characters from season one, introduce some new story arcs and characters, and answer more questions from the first season.

If you haven’t given H+ The Digital Series a shot before now, you’re at a perfect point to catch up before the second season starts. The show is smart and incredibly fun, especially if you’re the type of geek to let your mind run wild at the sight of a new piece of technology. The transhumanism concepts, right down to the not so subtle name of the show and tech that powers the users, is a great experience worth following.